Craig's Corner
by Craig Ballenger, CalTrout Ambassador
The remarkable river with a common name, California's Smith River draws anglers from far away for a chance at it's wild salmon and steelhead. Geology and location result in a unique river, draining from the Siskiyou Mountains and the Coast Range. While elsewhere, Northern California's Coast range represents the Franciscan Formation, primarily sandstone, here it more closely aligns with the geology of the Klamath Mountains.
Steep canyons, combined with heavy rainfall (in some areas, over 200 inches per year) scour these bedrock gorges. The river rises fast, yet recedes just as quickly. Very little sediment is carried by the Smith, resulting in the remarkable jade green and sapphire blues of water so clear, you might be inclined to jump off the drift boat and wade to shore. As one nameless person on our trips discovered, the Big Gulp is a simple step away.
The Smith River has become a poster-child for how, with forward thinking and by dint of hard work, an entire watershed can be protected. Here there are no dams, no wretched clear-cut blocks, no mitigating hatcheries. Instead ancient forest including iconic redwood cloak canyon walls.
The fishery as a result is remarkable. Salmon over 60lbs, and the state record for steelhead, over 27lbs. Species genetically adapted to heavy fast water, featuring massive caudal fins, or as expert angler Dustin Revell calls their tails, 'giant paddles.' These fish will make you feel under gunned even with a stout rod.
And they're not easy to catch..
Coming soon... our Indiegogo campaign to support our Smith River film!